


Sleepless

by Zoharain



Category: Evolve (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-08-14 16:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoharain/pseuds/Zoharain
Summary: Up here on the ship there wasn't anything trying to kill you, well; for Crow that was. Slim on the other hand was even more anxious to sleep on the ship than in the horrid wilderness next to god knows what predators, after Abe had told him about the price on his head.





	Sleepless

They were used to fall asleep huddled up together in some cave out in a hostile environment before they ended up in Cabot's crew. But that was down on shear. Up here on the ship there wasn't anything trying to kill you, well; for Crow that was. Slim on the other hand was even more anxious about sleeping on the ship than in the horrid wilderness next to god knows what predators, after Abe had told him about the price on his head.

10 million keys for an illegal basilisk soldier, he couldn't believe it. Surely it would drive any man to temptation. And so he had since then slept with a revolver locked and loaded under his pillow, except, he couldn't sleep. He had in fact spent countless night stressed out, staring at the crack under the door, listening to the creaking and groaning of the ship while wondering who would be the first one to try their luck. Nights like these, It didn't help that he is devoid of any eyelids, unable to close his million-faceted eyes even if he wanted to.

Staying awake the first three nights on the ship wasn't a problem on it's own. He'd spent countless nights on his guard, listening to the eerie sounds of the jungle before he even got here. But staying awake like this meant he was a victim to silence, and when he couldn't distract himself; his post-traumatic stress came tearing down on him. Hundreds of fragmented memories gnawing at his mind all at once until he completely shut down, fainting only a few hours before dawn. And with waking up to the daily missions that came along with being a part of the rank and file, it eventually drained him to the point that he could no longer focus on his task at hand.

He made great efforts to hide it from the others, but he was getting sloppier on the missions, forgetting crucial information and failing the simplest tasks. It wasn't before the 5th night when Slim decided to reach out to someone.

He had knocked on the 8th door down the hall, opened it before he even received an answer from the other side. Crow was sat on the edge of the bed, polishing his kinetic rifle, clad in only a pair of shorts as opposed to the leather tunic he usually wore.

He had looked up at him and Slim had asked him if he could spend the night, making the excuse that he and Abe had been going at it earlier which wasn't all a lie. Crow had told him" Suit yourself." nodding at the bed, but still gave him a look of surprise when slim huddled up behind him. At least as much of a look as one would get from the guy.

And so here he was, cramped up behind crow in his single wall mounted cot. It wasn't very spacious, and would probably barely fit the both of them. But slim was so tired he could sleep on rocks, he just hoped it didn't bother his friend.

"You look like shit." Crow said, looking back at him.

"That obvious huh?"

Crow shrugged at the dozy reply, returning to polishing his rifle.

"Not obvious enough for the others. They think you're messing with them."

This surprised Slim, he thought that surely they would have noticed him falling out of sync, but actively messing with them. That really worked in his favor.

"When was the last time you slept?"

Crow didn't receive an answer, and halted his process with his beloved rifle when Slim touched his back with his clawed hand.

"This burn, how did you get it?"

Without the tunic, Slim could see all the scars he had never seen before cover Crow's chest and back. The burn on his lower back looked like an acid burn. Although the scarred area wasn't big it must have hurt like hell.

"Gorgon." came the reply. "First time I ever saw one."

Crow got up from the bed, rifle in hand and tucked it away in it's crate. As if he had read Slims mind he said

"Can't be healed. Was a long time ago." Before he slipped into a dark tunic and tossed a blanket to slim. Making no effort to catch it, he let it turn the lights out over his head before Crow hit the actual switch and occupied the space beside him. The dark was already having an effect on Slim and he zoned out under the blanket.

"You know..." Crow spoke up, bringing him back again. "You could ask Cabot to be transferred. He'd understand. Give you a secure place to sleep."

Slim had already thought about it. Maybe Cabot could help, but most likely he'd just be put in a place with other greedy hunters. A place without Crow. Slim moved the blanket aside before it suffocated him.

"Same shit different place, figured I didn't have to bother."

He was once again met by Crow's back and put his face flat against it, breathing in the scent of his skin. He smelled different here on the ship, where he took actual regular showers. Well... Maybe not regular, and maybe not as frequent as the others, but he smelled different non the less. Almost sweet like mango with a hint of leather and salt.

"So you came to bother me." he said, amusement in his tone.

Slim huffed a tired chuckle.

"Yeah, I like having you watch my back. The other hunters seem intimidated by you."

He indeed did benefit from Crow's odd personality. The others must think he was a cold blooded introvert, after all it took a special kind of person to live alone for years on a uninhabited planet far away, and if Slim was the only one he hung around they would think twice about messing with him. Though they clearly misunderstood Crow, as had he when they first met but crow seemed to like people. He was just bad at conversations from lack of social experience.

"Good." said Crow. "I'd make them regret laying hands on you."

Slim would have been lying if he said he didn't love that comment. How genuine it was and made his heart beat out of rhythm. He blushed against Crow's leather tunic, letting a shy smile paint his face. In a somnolent way he let a hand trail up Crow's strong figure, silently resting it in the crook of his side where he had seen the corrupted tissue, before he felt brave enough to fully wrap his arm around Crow. A gesture he had not consciously implemented previously. Huddling up on Shear was purely to keep from freezing through the night, proximity there worked differently. But to his relief, and much to his delight Crow moved to hold his hand over his chest. Intertwining his fingers with Slim's clawed ones as he drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, I don't write a lot, but I'm trying to get into it more.  
> This pairing needed more love and I wanted to share a kind of headcanon that Slim finds solace in spending his nights next to Crow. Not only from the rest of the crew but from his mess of a mind too.


End file.
